BITS AND BRAMBLES

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Hey Bits and Bramblers…

Usually we like to keep things light around here. We talk about books and websites. We tell you about library programming, and we link to funny videos. But if you’d like us to keep doing those things—and much, much more—we need to talk.

Because we need your help.

See, last Friday, our Governor proposed some cuts to the state budget. He wants to cut $112.5 million from the Public Library Fund. Which is…kind of bad for us. In fact, if this passes? Then at least half of your faaaaavorite locations will be forced to close—and maybe more.

We’ll have to cut back on the number of books, DVDS, and CDs we buy, the number of programs we offer, and the number of (*gulp*) staff we have.

So…that’s why we need your help. But the thing is? We don’t have a lot of time…

See, The Ohio General Assembly is going to think about the proposal for nine days, and then they’re going to vote on July 1st, which is…you know, not very far away.

And here’s the thing. You’re probably thinking, “I’m just a kid, what I can do? I can’t even vote. Nobody’s going to listen to me, right?”

Wrong.

You know how everyone keeps telling you that “you’re the future?” Well, they mean it. And this is your chance to start showing everyone the future is in good hands. After all…this is YOUR state. This is YOUR community. This is YOUR library. So why not talk about how much it means to you?

Talk to your parents. If they’re okay with it, email or call your elected officials. Don’t be afraid to tell them exactly what you think. Tell them how much you love your library, and that you want it to stay open.

Talk to your favorite adults Tell them what’s going on, and encourage them to contact their elected officials. The more people we get, the better our chances are.

I’ll even help you out by giving you a list of the people you need to contact, and how to contact them!

• Call Governor Ted Strickland 614-466-3555 or email him using this form
• State Senator Bill Harris at 614-466-8086 or SD19@senate.state.oh.us
• Representative Jay Goyal at 614-466-5802 or district73@ohr.state.oh.us
• Representative Margaret Ruhl at 614-466-1431 or district90@ohr.state.oh.us

Now…if you aren’t sure which officials you should contact, you can check the House and Senate lists (or you could always ask if one of your faaaaaavorite librarians for help! After all…we’re pretty good at our jobs, and we’d like to keep doing them!)

Remember everyone…we don’t have much time. So GET BUSY…and START EXPRESSING YOURSELVES!!!!

No Comments | In: Current Events, General Chatter, Getting Involved, Library Programs, Shannin | tags: Current Events, General Chatter, Getting Involved, Library Programs. | #

Okay, so…I kinda came to the party late when it comes to the Mortal Instruments Trilogy by Cassandra Clare. I mean..I’d heard a lot of people taking about how much they loved the first book in the series, City of Bones, and the second book in the series, City of Ashes. Maybe it takes three books to sink in–because when everyone was talking about how amazing City of Glass, the third and final book in the trilogy, I finally got around to reading the series. And…wow. Everyone was right.

When City of Bones starts, sixteen-year-old Clary Fray and her best friend Simon are hanging out at the Pandemonium Club in Manhattan. Really, it’s kind of a boring night. That is, until Clary notices an annoying guy with blue hair being pulled into the store room by a group of beautiful-but-scary looking people covered in tattoos.

After that, things get messy fast. Especially when Clary frantically tries to tell Simon what she just saw—and he has no idea what she’s talking about, because he didn’t see anyone near the store room.

As it turns out, the annoying blue-haired guy isn’t a guy at all—he’s a demon. Then one of the scary beautiful people—a ridiculously good-looking blonde-haired guy—kills him. See, the beautiful tattoo-covered people are Shadowhunters—a group of demon hunters descended from angels. And they’re more than a little surprised that Clary can actually see them. Usually they’re invisible to normal people, or “mundanes.”

Clary’s ready to forget the whole thing—until the next day, when the scary/beautiful blonde guy shows up when she’s having coffee with Simon. His name is Jace, and he wants to talk about why Clary can see him. Things get even worse then when she goes home. Not only is her apartment is trashed, her mother’s missing, and there’s a dragon-like demon in her hallway.

So…maybe Clary’s not a mundane after all. In fact, it’s looking more and more like her mother’s disappearance is tied to an evil Shadowhunter named Valentine, and the Mortal Cup, a powerful object which has the power to turn a mundane into a Shadowhunter.

Before she knows it, she’s staying with Jace and his fellow Shadowhunters, and finds herself sucked up into their world of demons, wizards, vampires, and more, in a race to stop Valentine and save her mother.

…I know, right?!?! And trust me, it’s just as good as it sounds. So if you haven’t read the Mortal Instruments Trilogy, READ IT NOW…and thank me later! But if you’re not totally convinced, check out this awesome fan-made book trailer!


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SUMMER LIBRARY PROGRAM UPDATE! Guess how many of you signed up for the Teen Summer Library Program last week? Exactly 983 of you!

Wow…that’s…that’s…I can’t even think of a good way to describe it. You guys rock.

Now…if you’re not one of the 983…you still have time to register! Not only will you get free stuff when you sign up, but you’ll get a $5 gift card to Barnes and Noble when you read 500 pages, and an $8 gift card to either Best Buy or Target when you read 1000 pages! Plus you’ll go into the grand prize drawing for an iPod Shuffle! So what are you waiting for? Head to your faaaaaaaaaavorite M/RCPL branch and EXPRESS YOURSELF!!!!

1 Comment | In: Books, General Chatter, Library Programs, Read This Now, Shannin | tags: Books, General Chatter, Library Programs, Read This Now. | #

Today I’m going to share some sites with you that made me seriously nostalgic, Bits and Bramblers. See, my very first gaming system was a good ol’ Nintendo Entertainment System. The first one. A classic. And when you bought an NES, along with that new system plasticky smell we all know and love, you got two games—Super Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt.

I won’t lie to you, Bits and Bramblers. I spent several long, summer days drinking lemonade and seeing this message. I hated that message. Hated. it. And Duck Hunt was just as frustrating. Every time you missed, the dog laughed at you. Laughed. at. you. Stupid 8-bit dog.

Aaaaaaaaaaanyway…good time, good times.

So you can image my absolute giddiness when I discovered that you can play flash versions of both Duck Hunt and Super Mario Brothers online!

But before you start, I’ll warn you—it’s not easy using the arrow keys to make Mario and Luigi do that magical combination on walking and jumping. So…good luck with that. And while Duck Hunt isn’t really the same without the old school Nintendo Zapper Gun, using your mouse isn’t too bad.

The dog with still laugh at you if you miss, though. Stupid…Flash…dog.

Now…before you get your game on, check out this made-of-awesome song by The Mountain Goats and Kaki King (it’s nice to know I’m not the only person who was emotionally scarred by the “Thank You Mario! But our princess is in another castle!” message.) It even features some classic Super Mario Brothers footage!

No Comments | In: Computers/Internet, Games, General Chatter, Pop Culture, Shannin | tags: Computers/Internet, Games, General Chatter, Pop Culture. | #

Then I have just the site for you! When you visit The Hero Factory, you can create your very own superhero, without all that pesky drawing, and inking/coloring (like the Extraordinary Lasered Lash! Although the laser lash is pretty awesome, I’d like to think my superhero is also good with sarcasm, you know? She can give tongue lashings and laser lash…lashings. Never mind. You know what I mean.)

So after you create your superhero, you might be searching for some graphic novels to read. If you’re not sure what’s out there, though, try visiting No Flying, No Tights. This awesome website will help you find the perfect graphic novel for you, even if you’re not in the mood for superheroes! They’ve got sections on everything—like romance, manga, realism, and much more!

Or…you could always stop by your faaaaaaaaaaavorite M/RCPL branch and check out the new graphic novels, like Wolverine: Logan, or the graphic novel version of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline. (And hey…while you’re at your faaaaaaavorite M/RCPL location, did you know that you can sign up for the Teen Summer Library Program? Because you can. I’m pretty sure I might have mentioned something about it, earlier…

And for all you comic fans, check out this “I’m a Marvel, and I’m a DC” commercial (which might remind you of some other commercials you know and love.) Anyway, Spiderman and Superman are talking about movies…

No Comments | In: Comics, Computers/Internet, General Chatter, Pop Culture, Shannin | tags: Comics, Computers/Internet, General Chatter, Pop Culture. | #

Thaaaaat’s right, Cedar Point’s world-famous coaster is celebrating it’s 20th birthday! Here’s some trivia for you, Bits and Bramblers—when the Magnum XL 200 opened in 1989, it was the world’s tallest and fastest roller coaster. And even though there are taller and faster coasters in the park now, it’s still pretty awesome…in fact, there were 1,789,387 riders in 2008 alone!

And I’ll be honest with you, Bits and Bramblers. I was not one of the 1,789,387 riders. I kind of like smaller coasters. Now, if I’m at Cedar Point? I’m all about the Gemini, and even the Blue Streak. Which means I’m a liiiiitle bit of a roller coaster wimp. So…when everyone else is all “Let’s ride the Top Thrill Dragster!” I have a wicked plan. (Because…no. What if I decide to ride it, and this happens? No. Nonononono.) If you find yourself in a similar situation, I will share with my wicked plan with fellow roller coaster wimps right now. Let’s say that you love coasters, and the two of us are at Cedar Point.

You: Let’s ride the Top Thrill Dragster!
Me: Okay! But I’m thirsty. Let’s get a soda first! I’ll even buy you one!
(Then I will buy the both of us giant sodas in collectible cups the size of a small bucket.)
You: Let’s go!
Me: Er…we just bought sodas, and they were kind of expensive, what with the collectible cups and all. (Sadly) Look, you go ride the coaster. I’ll stand here and hold the sodas.
You: Seriously? I can wait.
Me: The line’s isn’t that long, so now would be a good time. Just go. I’ll hold your collectible soda bucket.
You: But I feel bad…
Me: You can make it up to me by riding the Gemini when you’re done.
You: Come on, isn’t that—
Me: I’m going to stand here, holding the soda that I bought you. Now we’re riding the Gemini, and the Iron Dragon.

So…yeah, I will make you feel guilty just get out of riding the scary roller coaster. But I’m not a totally horrible person. I did buy you a soda with a collectible cup, after all (oooh, and don’t forget, this works with stuff other than sodas, like t-shirts, etc.)

Here’s something to keep in mind, though, fellow coaster-non-enthusiasts: what happens if you see through the wicked plan? And they say something like “We can drink sodas in line?” or “I’ll wait, I’d feel guilty if you didn’t get to ride?” Well, in that case, don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t like giant super-fast roller coasters and I’m not riding that thing!” you could always make a deal, too. Like…maybe ride a sort-of scary coaster, instead of a really scary one (you know…the one where you can see another country from the top of the hill. Doesn’t anyone but me think that’s freaky?!)

Here’s the cool thing, though, and if doesn’t matter if you loooooove roller coasters or hate them—watching on-coaster videos is pretty cool. So now, you don’t even have to use the wicked plan to experience the Magnum XL 200 . We can do it without even standing in line!

So fasten your safety belt—or drink some soda—and enjoy!

No Comments | In: General Chatter, Pop Culture, Shannin | tags: General Chatter, Pop Culture. | #

Okay, so it’s the first week of summer vacation, and it’s hot. It’s sticky, humid, and stormy. What better way to take your mind off the icky weather than watching some trailers for new and upcoming movies coming to a theater near you?
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First up, Land of the Lost. The movie is based off of a awesomely cheesy kids show from the 70’s. (First of all, good luck getting the theme song out of your head. And seriously…how great are those special effects? Who wouldn’t be scared of that dinosaur? In case you couldn’t tell, I was being sarcastic. Really, really sarcastic.) But the dinosaur in the new version is…pretty freaky, actually. The movie opened June 5th, so be sure to check it out:

Next up, Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. I have to admit, I’m a little out of the loop on this one. See, I vaguely remember the cartoon, but I …er…haven’tactuallyseenthefirstmovie. I mean, a lot of people told me it was good and that I should watch it, but I’ve…um…neveractuallygottenaroundtoit. From the looks of this trailer though, I really should watch the first movie, because this one looks awesome. I’ve got a little time to catch up, though, since this one opens June 26th.

And last but certainly not least, here’s the trailer for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. This trailer gave me goosebumps, Bits and Bramblers. In fact, I’m going to say something that will probably earn me a lot of virtual dirty looks, and maybe people throwing a few virtual things at me, but…you can keep your Twilight books and your New Moon trailers, because when it comes right down to it? I’m a Harry Potter girl through and through. So…if you’re still reading, the movie opens July 17th. So watch the trailer and see what you think!

No Comments | In: General Chatter, Pop Culture, Television/Movies | tags: General Chatter, Pop Culture, Television/Movies. | #

No Comments | In: Books, General Chatter, Read This Now, Shannin | tags: Books, General Chatter, Read This Now. | #

It’s the day you’ve been WAITING for, Bits and Bramblers—and we know, because a bunch of you have been asking, “Can I sign up for the Summer Library Program?” And now’s the time! Sign up for the Teen Summer Library Program starts TODAY!

This summer, our theme is EXPRESS YOURSELF (and trust me…the library is the perfect place to help you express yourself!) Now…just in case you don’t remember how the program works, I’ll remind you…if you’re in Grades 6-12, all you have to do is head to your faaaaaaavorite M/RCPL location, and register! It only takes a few minutes to sign up—and we’ll give you cool stuff, just for doing it!

Once you’re registered, it’s all about how much you read. If you read 500 pages, you’ll earn a $5 gift card to Barnes and Noble! And if you read 1000 pages, you’ll earn an $8 gift card from either Target or Best Buy!

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! If you read 1000 pages, you’ll automatically be entered in the GRAND PRIZE DRAWING…AND YOU COULD WIN A 1 GB iPOD SHUFFLE!

AND WAIT…THERE’S STILL MORE! Don’t forget about all of the awesome programs going on this summer, like Hip Hop Dance, Mitten Ice Cream Sundaes, Rock Band, and Marshmallow Shooters! Oooh, and then there’s our INSTANT WINNERS…where you can win prizes like EXPRESS YOURSELF shirts just for checking out books!

AND THERE’S EVEN MORE! We’ve also got cool puzzles and quizzes each week—like Dude, Which One Is My Car? Just match up the famous car with its TV show or movie. Once you finish the quiz, hand the paper to your faaaaaavorite librarian, and you could win gift certificates to Taco Bell or McDonalds! How cool is that?!

Let’s see…I know that’s a crazy amount of cool stuff, but is there anything I’m forgetting? Oh, yeah…keep checking Bits and Brambles for more cool stuff, because we’ll be entertaining you all summer long, with awesome books, movies, websites, and more!

So what are you waiting for, Bits and Bramblers?!?! EXPRESS YOURSELF by heading to your faaaaaaavorite M/RCPL location and register for the Teen Summer Library Program today!